Ten Denver restaurants that use beer in their savory dishes

As thousands of beer-seekers prepare today for the hop mecca that is Great American Beer Festival, locals and visitors alike can takes advantage of the many ways that restaurants incorporate that fizzy friend into their culinary creations.

Here's a list, in no particular order, of some local restaurants that get creative with suds.

10) Wynkoop Brewing Company 1634 18th Street This tried-and-true hangout was Denver's first brewpub thanks to then-unemployed geologist Governor John Hickenlooper -- and its love of the hoppy stuff permeates shows through in the kitchen. The PEI Mussels are pan-roasted with soffrito and swim in a Wixa Weiss beer broth; their sandwiches are layered on bread made with their Railyard Ale; beer bread crumbs grace the house mac and cheese; B3k helps braise their lamb; and Wynkoop's IPA batters the cod in their fish and chips.

9) Breckenridge Brewery and BBQ 471 Kalamath Street Breckenridge Brewery, another early Colorado beer pioneer, brews, bottles, and kegs its beer at the Kalamath location. Aside from serving as a tasting room, Breckenridge Brewery and BBQ smokes meat daily using hickory wood that's been soaked in its Oatmeal Stout. Sample from sixteen-hour smoked pulled pork, smoked pork ribs,beef brisket, and their heart-stopper sausage -- along with their award-winning beers.

Cassandra Kotnik

8) Rise and Shine Biscuit Kitchen & Cafe 330 Holly Street Rise and Shine carries its penchant for fluffy-biscuit slinging through the day, sandwiching eggs, cured meats, and all other manners of sandwich stuffings between fresh biscuits, drizzling them with honey or slathering them in jam. Their loyal following awaits their biscuit-of-the-day specials, which are released in advance on their website. The Great Divide beer biscuits are sought-after favorite.